Metensomatosis
by DanieXJ
Summary: Takes place after, and has some spoilers for 'The Stable Boy' in it. Regina realizes something new about Emma.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Metensomatosis

**Spoilers**: This has Spoilers, sort of for 'The Stable Boy' episode. If you haven't seen that episode yet, you may not get all that's going on, or you may be spoiled for the episode.

**Disclaimers**: I don't own any of these characters.

**A/N**: I know, I know. I have to finish Coming Together. And I'm nearly there. But this popped into my head and I just couldn't help it.

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><p>Emma leaned her head against the cell bars and slowly blew out a breath. She was tired, so tired. Before, her life had been non-stop, that was true. There had always been the next idiot who thought that he or she would succeed at jumping bail where others couldn't. And Emma would catch all of them.<p>

Sometimes in her old life she had been so tired that she hadn't even remember brushing her teeth, or putting on her bed clothes. But, it had been a good tired. The pure tired of hard work and some hard play. A physical tired.

This was mental. She couldn't probably go out and run half the Boston Marathon and not die, but spending another day between Regina and Sidney, David, Mr. Gold, August. Not to mention Mary Margaret and Henry, who although they meant well were pulling just as hard on her. She wasn't sure she could do it anymore.

She turned and stared at the walkie talkie on one of the empty Sheriff office desks. She'd thought it'd be a good idea. Stay. Stand up for a boy that she was pretty sure she loved, and that she definitely knew that she owed. For giving him up, for helping create him in the first place. But...

She took the Sheriff's badge off her belt and looked at it for a moment. Then nodded to herself and started moving.

* * *

><p>Regina strode into her office. She was pleased with how nearly everything in town was going. Sidney was well positioned, her son had quit yammering quite so much about the story world, and Mary Margaret was as unhappy as Regina had ever seen her, had ever seen anyone.<p>

It was when she went to sit behind her desk that she saw it. Sitting in the middle of the desk like a beacon calling to her. The Sheriff's badge. She picked it up with a frown, the day was going downhill. She couldn't see what Emma would get by resigning.

She picked up her phone. "Sidney, where's Emma?" Regina's frown deepened, "Are you sure? Don't you take that one with me Sidney. You're sure, you saw her... car... driving out of town." After another affirmative from Sidney Regina hung up without another word and stared down at the badge again, "Reinforcements, is that what you're doing Miss Swan?"

* * *

><p>Emma looked around. Her Bug had died before she'd gotten out of town, and her phone's charge was beyond gone. She'd walked towards the building she could see from the road looking for a person, a telephone. Instead she'd found horses. Three of them.<p>

She smiled as one leaned over its stall and let her stroke it. "Hey there... well, I don't know if you're a boy or a girl. So, hey there..." She spotted a basket of carrots and picked one up, "Bet you like this huh, they're one of my favorite too. Parts of 'em don't get stuck in the teeth like with broccoli. There ya go."

"What's your play Miss Swan?"

Emma turned to face the door of the stable. "Excuse me?"

Regina gestured with the hand that held the Sheriff's badge. "First, you give me what I assume is your resignation. For future reference, those who participate in civilized society use a letter as well. And now, you're in my stable."

"Yours? I didn't know. I was looking for a phone."

Regina stared down Emma, "A phone. That's the best you can do? You won't find anything here."

Emma sighed, "Mayor Mills, I'm not looking for anything, except a phone. You've won. I'm..." She blew out a breath, "I'm so damn tired. During the days its you, Sidney, Mr. Gold, even Henry and Mary Margaret. Then at night..." she trailed off, "At night all I ever do in this town is have nightmare after nightmare." She glanced around, really seeing the place for the first time, "Huh... most of them seem to take place here too..."

Regina walked closer to Emma, "That's not funny."

Emma held her hands away from her body, "Do I look like I'm joking. I'm no ones white knight. So... I'm gonna go back to chasing stupid people and you can go back to your posturing with Mr. Gold for power and destroying the lives of everyone in this hamlet. Sound fair?"

Regina took another two steps towards Emma so that they were less than an arms length away from each other, "And Henry?"

"He has a roof over his head, three squares, you love him in your own- unique- way. I'd suggest an ankle bracelet though, for when he's out of your sight."

"I don't believe you."

Emma shook her head, "I don't care. I'm leaving." Emma paused, "I'm also not sure why you seem to care that I'm leaving."

Regina didn't answer the question, but gave an order "Tell me what the nightmares are."

"What?"

Regina took another step forward. She was in Emma's personal space and the horse gave her a bit of a nudge that she ignored, "Tell me."

Emma pursed her lips for a moment, then shook her head, "Whatever. Fine. I'm here..." She took a deep breath, "I'm here and there are two dark black... forms. They're not distinct people, not even people shaped, but in the dream I know they represent people, women I think. Although, one's more grey than black. The black one engulfs me. I try to move but am stuck in the ground." She trailed off and closed her eyes. Her hand drifted to her heart.

Her eyes flew open as Regina put her hand over Emma's. "Wh-what are you doing?" The dark haired woman also had a curious expression on her face, one that Emma couldn't decipher.

Regina didn't move, but did speak, "And... after the dark form engulfs you, it feels as though your heart has been ripped out. And you're staring up at the ceiling, the grey form over you, but not attacking. And then you wake up."

It was Emma's turn to frown, "How did you know that?"

Regina took her hand away and looked Emma up and down, "Take off your shirt."

"What? No... Madam Mayor."

Regina pushed Emma's hands aside and unbuttoned two of Emma's shirt's buttons and pulled the shirt to one side. There was a pink mark under where Emma had put her hand, "I- I can't believe. I never thought..."

Emma pulled back a step and buttoned one of her buttons again. "What are you muttering about? It's just a birthmark. It's always been there." She paused, "Now tell me how you knew what happened in my nightmare?"

Regina shook her head, "It's never easy, ever, is it. I know what happened because I was there. I was the- the grey form. My mother the black one. She- she reached into his chest and pulled out his heart right in front of me, then crushed it in her hand. He died and it was all because that... that little brat was too stupid. All because Snow White the great and awesome and pretty and smart," the sarcasm dripped from Regina, "fell for my mother's obvious trick."

Emma shook her head and took another step backwards, "You're crazy... the whole town is. I'm going to leave."

Regina closed the distance between them and grabbed Emma's hand. "Don't. Please."

Emma stared down at Regina's hand, "Because of a couple of bad dreams and a birthmark?"

"No. Because all your life you've been searching for the other half of your soul. Oh, you've had relationships, and some even worked for a brief bit, but, part of you felt empty, alone, adrift no matter who said they loved you." She paused, "You're... you're Daniel, my Daniel, reincarnated. I can feel it in my soul."

Emma forcibly pulled her hand away from Regina's. "I'm not this... Daniel."

Regina put her hand on Emma's cheek, "Tell me that you haven't felt something too." She stepped as close as they'd been during the problems at the mine. "A- tension- a-"

Emma spoke, "-spark." She leaned forward and didn't have to go far. Her hands found Regina's face, her lips found Regina's lips. In their kiss as in life they jockeyed for control. Neither woman lost or won as they got lost in a haze of lust and love.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Anyone got a totally awesome and funny, yet serious and poignant and hit it out of the park cover letter hiding in their closet. No... ack... guess it's back to trying to PR myself. Also... probably shouldn't put in there 'and is an insane Once Upon a Time fanfic writer who just can't stop writing it even when she tries... :)

Three should be up sorta soon. IN between bouts of 'creativity' with my cover letter, letter of interest, whatever it's being called this week.

* * *

><p>"Henry will be looking for you."<p>

"I'm..." Emma looked down. Regina's head rested on her chest, her arm thrown over Emma's middle. Both were lying in the hay and both were entirely naked.

The horses didn't seem to mind though.

Emma tried starting again. "I don't know if I can stay Regina. This town, it's killing me."

Regina sighed, "No, I'm killing you." She looked up, "We could leave. Just... pick up Henry and leave. Be a family."

Emma shook her head, "You can't go. This town lets no one go."

"I created this town." She glanced around, "Trust me, I can leave. Actually, we're probably the only three who can leave."

"But... what about the curse?"

Regina made a face, "What about it, I'm evil remember."

Emma wiggled a little to try and get away from a piece of hay that was being quite persistent. "Would he want you to run, leaving all these people in their own personal hells."

"Perhaps it would get better."

Emma sat up abruptly and tried to squirm around to get the itch in the middle of her back, "Sorry... I just..." Regina put her hand on Emma's back and the itch just went away. "Ahh... that..."

Regina smiled just a little, then stood, "We should get going. Henry has probably made up all sorts of stories by now and thinks that I've killed you or something. We should go..."

Emma stopped Regina mid way through pulling on her shirt. "Hey, it was just an itch."

Regina finished pulling on her shirt, "So, stay."

They both finished putting back on their clothes, but then neither moved after that. "Tell me the truth... and... and I'll stay for..." She blew out a breath, "I'll stay for awhile longer and see what happens."

"It's a long story." She looked over at the horses. "Let's take a ride. And... I'll tell you all."

Emma looked over at the horses. "I've never..."

"You remember more than you think you do Emma."

Emma frowned, "I..."

Regina rolled her eyes and pulled Emma towards her, "Yes, I mean how you have sex."

Emma stared at Regina for a long second then started laughing, and couldn't stop. She wound up on the straw again, this time with her back against one of the stall doors. "This is so... so..."

"Wrong?"

"Crazy. Utterly crazy."

"Why? Hinduism, Buddhism. People even use hypnotism to reclaim their past lives still today."

Regina held a hand out and Emma stared at it. "Regina... you're, you're grasping at straws. I'm not, I can't be Daniel."

Regina's hand dropped, "Do you know what Emma, your name, means?" Emma shook her head, "It's Germanic. Short for Erman, which means whole..."

Emma stood, "It's not that... you think that because... what. I'm in your stable, because I have a birthmark..."

Regina took a step back, "You felt nothing?"

Emma shot Regina a look, "I didn't say that. I'm not male."

Regina tilted her head to one side, "That didn't seem to stop you."

"And you've done such... such bad things."

Regina raised one of her eyebrows, "That didn't stop you either."

"So... I get on a horse and what..."

Regina looked out the back door of the stable, "I have a place."

Emma still didn't look convinced, "Just like that, from wanting me to leave, or worse, to wanting me to stay."

"Yes."

Emma shook her head, "Life doesn't work that way."

Regina hurfed, "You do understand that my heart has been searching for my true love for my whole life? Orlando." Emma frowned for a moment and Regina continued, "There was a movie with..."

"I wasn't trying to figure out your allusion Regina, I was figuring out if you were Vita or Violet."

Regina looked surprised. "Oh you..."

"...know literature? That would make you Orlando, and me... Shelmerdine? I may not be a... Mayor, but I didn't fail English either."

Regina laughed.

Emma looked towards the large animals and then back to Regina, "You have to stop screwing with people in town. If they find their happy endings you have to let them." Regina frowned, but nodded. "And forgive Mary Margaret."

"No."

Emma ran a hand down Regina's arm and then brushed dark bangs from Regina's forehead. "She was just a girl Regina. Just a girl who wanted a mother. I know what the feels like, the emptiness. I was lucky, I never knew mine, it had to have been a little easier than having met her and had her ripped from me. And yeah, maybe somewhere deep, deep inside her she meant to sabotage your relationship with this Daniel... but, she was a kid. There was no way she knew that your mother would kill him."

There was a glint of hope in Regina's eyes, "You believe... everything?"

"No.. yes... I don't know." She went over to the horses and put her hand against the flank of the horse she'd fed. "This one was his, wasn't it?"

Regina put her hand next to Emma's. "It was."

"I won't be the Sheriff anymore. I... that's non-negotiable."

"We should ride bareback..."

Emma blinked, it was such a softball she was surprised that it had come out of Regina's mouth. The Mayor always said the exact that thing that she meant, and Emma had never heard her misspeak, ever. Emma couldn't help herself, "Didn't we already do that today?"

A second first happened when Regina's cheeks colored just a bit and she cleared her throat. "Yes... the horses though..."

Emma made a face and patted the horse, "Horse... you do know that, oh, I don't know, years and years ago they invented cars. Oh, as well as ATVs... and..."

Regina cut her off with a kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I sincerely apologize for the long, long wait. It's been crazy, and then there was a bit of writer's block, and then more craziness... but, here we go. The first of two new parts.

* * *

><p>"Wait, he knows who he is?"<p>

Regina sighed, "Yes. He's not just Rumpel, he's also the Dark One."

Emma made a face, "Well, that doesn't sound good. So, does he like it here or not?"

Regina shook her head, "I'm not sure."

Emma made a noise in the back of her throat, "It's like I'm on a bad season of Survivor. Not the good first season when everything was new, but one of the more recent ones where everyone's just plain damn mean." She paused, "I always liked The Mole better."

"Do you believe me?"

"Snow's my mother, David's my father. Katherine's in love with a statue. You were friends with one of my least favorite Disney Villains."

Regina interrupted her, "Who was your favorite?"

Emma shrugged, "I always sorta liked Ursula."

Regina made a face, "Oh, she's a bitch."

"I don't want to know. I just... don't want to know. My head may explode it has so much new and crazy information in it."

Regina squinted towards the stable, "Someone's coming."

Emma lay back and stared up at the tree they were under. "Henry? Mary Margaret?"

Regina shook her head, "I can't tell. What are you going to tell them?"

"You mean him?"

Regina was silent for a moment, then nodded, "Yes."

Emma turned her head and looked up at Regina, who was sitting next to her. "What do you want me to tell him?"

Regina closed her eyes, "I don't... I don't know." She shook her head, "That's... I haven't felt this way since, since the day I was supposed to run away with Daniel. Before I had to marry Leopold."

"You haven't told me about him."

"Leopold?"

"Daniel."

And she didn't get to as both Mary Margaret and Henry came running up, David and Archie trailing behind them. "Get away from her, get away from her now Regina."

Emma sat up and put her hands up, "Stop... I'm okay."

Henry threw himself at Emma, who barely caught him and then motion of Henry slammed Emma's head against the tree so hard that it bounced a little. "Ohhh..."

"Henry Daniel Mills."

Emma blinked up at Regina, "Huh... that makes sense... Uh, I think... Are there three of you?"

Regina gently moved her son to one side and put her hands on either side of Emma's face, "Look at me Em-"

Emma winced, "You're shiny... ooh... ohh..." Emma pushed Regina aside and lost her guts onto the ground over and over until she was dry heaving. It was dead silent when she finally sat back on her heels. She realized that Regina was rubbing circles on her back, and despite the pounding in her head and the fuzziness on the edge of her vision she smiled, just a little.

She slowly turned and tried to stand. She got halfway up before she got wobbly, and Regina helped her the rest of the way off. Mary Margaret and David were shooting daggers at the dark haired Mayor, while Henry and Archie were studying her with slightly confused looks.

"Emma, are you okay? I'm... I'm sorry that I made you whack your head."

Regina narrowed her eyes at her son, "Young man, that's why you shouldn't launch yourself at people."

"But... but Mom, I thought you were hurting her."

Mary Margaret stepped up to the other side of Emma and took her arm. "I'll get her to a hospital and..."

"Miss Blanchard... back up."

Mary Margaret didn't let go, "No. I won't. You're playing Emma, and I won't let you do that."

"I'm not..."

"Stop, stop... or I'm going to throw up again, on both of you. You two can fight... a... after I'm in the big clunky machine..." She pitched forward, and it was only the fact that both Regina and Mary Margaret were holding her that meant she didn't do a header into the grass.

* * *

><p>Henry stood in front of Regina. "Why did you take Emma away?"<p>

Regina opened and closed her mouth, Mary Margaret and the rest of her merry band weren't in the waiting room, they were somewhere else, plotting most likely. She didn't care at the moment. She'd felt something else she hadn't felt in what was forever, fear, when she'd looked in Emma's eyes and they hadn't focused on her. "I... I didn't. Well, I did, but not by force. I convinced her to ride a horse with me to the grove."

Henry frowned, "We saw the stable, there was one horse left."

Regina smiled sadly, "That was for you one day."

"Why?"

"I'm your mother, and I thought that you'd like it. I need some other reason?"

That was not the response that Henry had anticipated. "Oh..." He paused, "Do you think Emma will be okay?"

"I don't know." It was Regina's turn to pause, "Henry. May I see your book?"

Henry frowned and answered without thinking, "What book?"

"Henry..."

Henry was still for a moment, then slowly undid his bag and pulled the large book out. As it cleared the top a little piece of paper floated to the ground. Regina picked it up with a frown, "May I see the book?"

Henry nodded, handed her the book and sat down in the chair next to her. He flinched a little as Regina immediately turned to the back of the book.

"You man, did you rip out pages from Miss Blanchard's book? You know that is an unacceptable way to treat a book Henry." She looked over at her son, who just stared back without saying a word. "What did you rip out?"

"Nothin'."

Doctor Whale came into the waiting room, "Mayor Mills... Henry, Emma's in a room..."

Henry's face went white and his hand gripped for Regina's. Doctor Whale quickly amended his statement, "No, no... she's fine. The CT scan found nothing... but she has a doozy of a concussion and so we need to keep her overnight for observation."

Henry spoke up, "I'll observe her."

Doctor Whale smiled, "No, I mean..."

Regina cut off the Doctor, "He knows what you mean Doctor. He wants to stay the night in her room."

"Oh... well..." Regina shot Doctor Whale her most fearsome look, and he nodded, "Yes, yes, of course, of course. She's in room four."

Regina and Henry made their way to Room four. Henry entered tentatively. "Emma?"

Regina put a hand on Henry's shoulder, "She may not be awake Henry." She found herself way more pleased than she should have been when Henry didn't shrug off her hand.

"No..." Emma cleared her throat, "C'mon in... I'm awake. I think."

Regina closed the door behind her. Henry went to Emma's beside and took the blonde's hand in his own, "I'm sorry that I jumped at you... I just thought."

Emma gave Henry's hand a squeeze, "Your mother wouldn't hurt me."

Henry glanced over his shoulder at Regina, "She hit you."

"I hit her too, and neither of us are ever going to do that again. Because that's not the way... the way to solve anything. Ever." Regina nodded her agreement.

Henry frowned, "But... why did you go out there with her Emma?"

Emma took her hand from under Henry's, "It's complicated Henry."

He pouted and whacked his hand against the bed, "Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, I'm NOT a kid, and I'm NOT stupid."

Emma met Regina's eyes and then spoke, "It's up to you Regina."

Henry's gaze turned to his Mom, "What? What?"

"We were talking... and, before that... we had been kissing."

Henry went perfectly still for a moment, then ran from the room.

Regina didn't move until Emma spoke, "Regina... you have to go after him."

Regina snapped out of it, "I know... I..."

Emma held up her hand, and after a moment Regina took it. "You're his mother. You got thrown up on, changed his diapers, put on his band aids..."

Regina cut Emma off, "I get it... and I know all that." She looked down at Emma, "But, you... you've thrown me off."

Emma's eyes started to drift closed, "Sorry... tired..."

"Uh uh... not yet.." Regina heard someone in the hallway and turned. "And... Mary Margaret and David have arrived, so, I'm going to leave you in their hands."

Emma's eyes blinked again, "Love ya..."

Regina was stunned silent, and a strange noise came out of Mary Margaret's throat. Regina was the first to regain her voice, she brushed a bit of Emma's hair to one side and kissed the blonde's forehead, "Love you too Emma..."

Mary Margaret was silent until Regina was far down the hall, then she frowned at Emma, "Why would you say that?"

Emma winced, "Little less loud please. I'm pretty sure that my head has been split down the center and my brain is showing. So, I'll cliff note the conversation. You shouldn't go out with her, you can't trust her. Yes, I can, it's complicated. Why? Because I think that Henry might be onto something. What do you mean? Well... I feel a connection to her, not to mention that she told me a story that's not in the book you gave to Henry. And, 'cause, sometimes life's stranger than fiction."

Mary Margaret's frown deepened. "You, believe her now?"

Emma thought for a moment, then nodded, and regretted it, putting a hand to her head. "Ow... yes. Yeah, I think I do. But, you don't. They have my blood, have them compare it to yours. Or to yours David."

Mary Margaret was at a loss for words.


	4. Chapter 4

Regina watched her son from the doorway of the room he'd escaped to for a moment. He sat, his head bowed, staring down. She decided that maybe telling Henry the truth would help matters. It sure couldn't hurt them. She spoke, "It's all true. Everything. Ruby is Red and the Wolf. Mr. Gold is Rumpelstiltskin. I'm..." she paused, "I guess I'm the Evil Queen. Mary Margaret is Snow White, David her Prince."

Henry sat in the first row of the chapel, facing forward, his arms crossed over his chest, "Don't make fun of me."

"Never." She sat down next to him. "Ask me a question. Any question."

Henry turned to Regina and she saw that he had tears in his eyes. "Do you love me Mom? I mean... really?"

"Yes."

He sniffed and blinked a bit, "But, I mean, you just wanted to hurt... You just got me because, because you wanted to hurt Emma, because she's Snow's daughter." Henry's eyes went wide and his slapped his hand over his mouth, "I didn't... mean... I mean..."

"Hey." He jumped a little and Regina modulated her voice, "Sorry. I've loved you Henry, from the moment that you were put in my arms. Is that what was at the end of the book? Emma being born to Snow and James?" Henry nodded just a little, "I had no idea Henry."

He looked up at her. "I don't believe you."

Regina crossed her arms over her chest as well. "About which?"

His voice was so soft that she almost didn't hear him, "Do you really love me?"

Regina pulled him closer, even as he wiggled for a moment to get away, "Every second of every day. Why do you think that I worry so much."

Henry frowned, "Worry?"

Regina cleared her throat, "Well, yes, I may get a bit... loud and..."

"...order-y?"

Regina narrowed her eyes at Henry. "Yes, well..." She paused for a moment, "Do you remember when you were younger? We were in the kitchen, I was making dinner, and you were trying to drive me quite insane by touching everything I was?" Henry shrugged and nodded, "What happened?"

Henry was silent for a second, "I started to touch the pot that had the boiling spaghetti in it, and you yelled at me to stop." Henry gave a bit of a hurf, "So, you're saying that you yell 'cause you care?"

"Sometimes... it's what comes to me first Henry. I'm not... I'm not proud of that, but I... I didn't have the best Mom to show me how to do it either..." She trailed off. "We'll go back to Emma's room."

Regina stood and it was Henry who stopped her from moving, a hand on his Mom's arm. "Will you tell me why you and Emma were out there? The real reason?"

Regina was silent for a long time. She walked to the very front of the chapel and turned. "When I was a young woman, I was in love. My mother, she..." Regina trailed off again and met Henry's eyes. "I lost the one I loved. I... think that..."

Henry cut Regina off, "That Emma's her..."

"Him... actually." Regina was a bit surprised when he laughed. "Oh, you think that's funny?"

Henry shrugged, "Not any weirder than you bein' my uh... great grandmother, or, whatever..."

"Step."

Henry rolled his eyes, "Whatever." He then thought for a moment, "Um, may I have a candy bar?"

"Yes."

Henry frowned, "Are you saying yes because you want to stop talking about everything, and bribe me?"

"Yes."

Henry smiled, just a little, then the smile went away and his head tilted to the side as he stood, "Emma..." And he was off and running towards her room.

* * *

><p>Mary Margaret and David had finally left, and left her more tired than she thought she could be.<p>

She nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand came down on her shoulder. She blinked up into the face of Mr. Gold, and he didn't look happy. "She... is mine."

Emma blinked still, trying to figure out what Mr. Gold's point was. "I don't... who?"

Mr. Gold dragged the back of his hand down Emma's cheek. "Regina, your new... beau... Once they let you go, you will leave this place, this town, everything."

"I- I can't."

Mr. Gold stood up straight and waved a hand dismissively, "You... and your son are the only ones who can. Take him if you must, She- is mine."

Emma pushed herself up in the bed. "I don't understand."

"Think for a second girl."

And Emma fell silent, and was nearly still. Then she looked up at Mr. Gold. "I'm not going to leave. And she's not yours, the story..."

Mr. Gold laughed, "Is a story. No, Cora never could guess my name... I helped her... marry above her station and in return, now and forever, Regina, is mine... " He leaned down so his lips were right next to Emma's ear, "...I just haven't chosen to use her yet."

Emma tried to push Mr. Gold away but he caught her hand in his own. A voice came from the doorway, "Get your hands off her."

Mr. Gold smirked and turned, not letting go of Emma's wrist, "Say... please..."

Regina's eyes sparked, but she didn't move. Mr. Gold tightened his grip and something snapped in Emma's wrist. The blonde only just managed to swallow back most of her yelp. And somehow Regina kept a hold of Henry. "Here's what will happen. Mayor Mills will stay here, run our little town, life will be as it has always been. Miss Swan, you will take your son and you will leave town, never come back, either of you. Live the happy life that you will never get here..." When he spoke those words he looked directly at Regina, who was giving him her best death glare. "Does that sound agreeable to all?"

Henry spoke up from behind his mother, "That makes no sense, you totally asked Snow White for Emma's name? So why are you gonna let her go?"

Mr. Gold glanced over at Emma, "She's nothing, you're nothing..."

Emma took all the energy she had left, sat up, and in the same move, grasped Mr. Gold's other wrist. She raised an eyebrow, "Maybe in the other world you're something powerful, but here... you're just like everyone else..." She moved her hand and the snap seemed to reverberate throughout the room.

Mr. Gold grit his teeth, "My broken wrist changes nothing, she is mine, and if you and your son."

Emma cut him off, "Her son. Henry Mills is Regina's son. Got it?"

Mr. Gold didn't dignify Emma with a response, "If you and your son stay here, I will destroy both of you." He tilted his head to one side, "I told you that you wanted me on your side."

The four of them stood that way, in some weird horribly disturbed tableaux for what seemed like forever. It was Regina who finally broke the silence. "I have a deal."

"No more deals."

Regina bantered back, "One last deal. My life... my soul, whatever my mother promised you, for yours."

That hung there for a long moment until Mr. Gold let Emma's wrist go, and the blonde did the same with Mr. Gold's and he turned. "Be clear."

"My life back, you stop with your damn... pleases, and... everything, and I return Belle to you."

Henry gasped and Emma frowned. But, neither Mr. Gold or Regina seemed to notice them in the room anymore. Regina held out her hand, "Is it a deal?"

"It's a trick."

Regina slowly shook her head, "It isn't."

"You will let me see her first."

Regina quirked an eyebrow, "I will not. Do we have a deal or not... Rumpelstiltskin? My life and soul for your true love. It's much better than a chipped glass isn't it."

"Teacup, it's a... fine, yes..." He practically slapped Regina's hand instead of shaking it. "Yes, we have a deal. Take me to her."

Regina waved a finger and took out her cell phone. She dialed and put it to her ear. "Yes, let Belle go... yes I'm sure. No, the hospital's fine. We'll meet you in the lobby."

* * *

><p>Emma had one arm, the one with the now broken wrist, over Regina's shoulders, while her other was held in an almost death grip by Henry. And none of the three said a word as a stretcher was wheeled in the ambulance entrance to the hospital. Mr. Gold turned to Regina. "I will des..."<p>

Regina rolled her eyes and cut him off, "Just kiss her Rumpel... alright. Kiss her."

Mr. Gold walked over to the stretcher. It was his Belle on it for sure. He looked back at Regina for a moment, then closed his eyes and waved his hand in a circle once, then threw it towards the sky the second time he went around. Regina nearly collapsed to the ground, it was as if she'd lost a hundred pounds. Her heart seemed to want to beat its way out of her chest, and she blinked at what came over her when she looked at Emma, then Henry.

There was a worried, very worried look on her son's face. "What, what is it?"

He reached up and wiped away wetness, "You're crying."

Regina kissed the top of Henry's head, then closed her eyes and put her hand to her heart, "I've never felt this... I thought..." She ran out of words and simply pulled Henry and Emma closer. "Thank you."

By the stretcher Mr. Gold was totally still, he'd brushed a bit of hair off of Belle's forehead, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to kiss Belle. If he wanted to know once and for all if he was her true love or not.

Finally he leaned over the stretcher and put the barest of kisses on Belle's lips. At first nothing happened, then he felt a hand on the back of his head and the kiss deepened. Finally he had to pull back, "Belle?"

Belle smiled, "What took you so long hot stuff?"

Henry had watched Belle and Rumpelstiltskin, and turned back to Regina and Emma, who, he was grateful, weren't kissing at that moment, "Now what Mom?"

Regina smiled just a little, "I think that we all start living happily ever after again Henry."

* * *

><p>Fin ~ April 7th, 2012<p> 


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